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Lynchburg firefighters urge council to address staffing and equipment needs
Summary
A representative of the Lynchburg firefighters association appealed to council during public comment for 24 additional firefighting positions immediately and raised equipment replacement and warranty issues tied to the Stryker program and other apparatus.
A representative of the Lynchburg firefighters association urged the city council during public comment on Jan. 14 to address immediate staffing and equipment shortfalls, including a request for 24 additional firefighters and replacement of aging equipment.
Speaking for the association, the commenter said the department routinely has one or two engines out of service and that the city logged 14,816 hours of overtime and 4,726 hours of mandatory overtime in the prior calendar year. The speaker said those figures reflected strained staffing and called for additional manpower beyond a separate 21‑person SAFER grant planned for March.
The speaker also raised equipment concerns tied to the Stryker program and other devices, saying 11 of 40 Stryker products were out of warranty and that replacement costs for items such as cardiac monitors and mechanical CPR devices could be large. "A cardiac monitor is $48,000," the speaker said, and noted the department lacks funds to replace worn equipment.
The speaker asked council to prioritize manpower, benefits and equipment replacement in upcoming budget discussions and said paperwork would be provided to councilmembers. Councilmembers acknowledged the comments and the speaker requested prayer and expressed concern for firefighters in a large fire incident referenced in national news.
No formal council action was taken during the meeting; the remarks were made during the public comment portion of the agenda and were taken under advisement.
